Race Well, Race Often

Indiana's Andy Bayer stays sharp by toeing the line frequently

In an intense stretch of racing from the middle of May to July 1, 2012, Andy Bayer ran–count them–eleven 1500m races. Starting with the conference meet and ending at the U.S. Olympic trials, Bayer got faster as he went along.

First he won the Big Ten, then he took the NCAA title with a dive across the line–besting BYU's Miles Batty, also in a full-out Superman, by .01. Next Bayer raced twice more to get an Olympic trials "A" standard (3:39). In Eugene, Ore., Bayer barely advanced out of the first round and felt better in the semifinal. By the final, he was downright relaxed.

"The finals were the least stress I've had in months," he says. "Leading up to that I was trying to qualify or win every race. [In the finals] I was going to try to race and not worry about time, just beat as many people as possible." The result? Fourth place overall and a PR, 3:37.24.

Race early, race often might well be the mantra of the Indiana program under head coach Ron Helmer. His athletes toe the line more often than most distance squads–sometimes multiple times in a weekend–as part of their training. Bayer thrives in the system.

"The cool thing about Andy, he'll race when he doesn't feel good," Helmer says. "In way too many cases, we've conditioned our distance runners to think they have to feel great to race great. They're always pointing to that one, pie-in-the-sky race three months from now when it's all going to come together. I like that he'll go race hard, no matter what he feels like."

Bayer, who missed the start of last year's cross country season with an injury, is looking forward to seeing what he can do his senior year with several steady months of training. His mileage will stay in the low 80s, with a 16-to 17-mile long run. Bayer was 39th last year at nationals on only a month of workouts, and this year he hopes for a top 10 finish.

The 10K distance feels like a different sport than the 1500m. Bayer relishes it–the camaraderie, being surrounded by teammates, and knowing that in a race, there's time to react to moves. Plus, cross country is a critical part of his buildup for a shot at winning another NCAA title on the oval. "Professionals running track, all fall they're doing basework," he says. "That's what we're doing, but it's more fun."

The youthful Bayer stands to benefit from the volume. In his track campaign, Helmer says, "He was running 25-year-old times with a 22-year-old chronological age and a 16-year-old body. He's just slow maturing physically." Bayer wrestled as a freshman and sophomore in high school–in the 103-pound weight class. His youthful exuberance was captured on video after the NCAA final, when a reporter asked him what was going through his head as he and Batty were battling. "I was thinking, 'Quit cutting me off, you jackass,'" Bayer quipped. During the long waits at track meets, he and his teammates amuse themselves playing Settlers of Catan, a board game, or Munchkin, a card game.

All of which keeps him cool until his next race. "I don't get too excited about big wins and I don't get too down on myself about losses," Bayer says. "If you keep an even keel, it's easier to do more." Race more. And make your coach look like a genius.